Quiet
by Straying Life
Summary: BASIS OF NOT LIKE HIM. After a particularly hurtful news report, Danny Phantom mysteriously disappears…and Danny Fenton shuts his mouth forever. Meanwhile, Valerie is wondering what happened to both…DxV


Bwaha. Not Like Him had such a good base, I couldn't resist making it into a longer one-shot! This is a fuller story of NLH that was nagging at my mind ever since! Feel lucky, I've been feeling so down that I think I eat about one square meal a day. The format in this is going to change. As a key, 'mind' means that it's their POV, they are actually speaking. 'Body' means it is with this character, but in the 3rd person. Hope that cleared it up for you!

And sorry this didn't come up earlier. Damn. Well, one of my dolling forums (The Gathering, take notice if you're a member) has been hacked AGAIN (2nd Annual TG Hack) and this time if you try to get on, it gives you a 'Download.Trojan' virus. For now, steer clear of TG and try to get some contact with other members who can tell you. So I got a virus and I had to share the office computer for a bit, but it's all fixed.

DISCLAIMER: nope. But I do own Not Like Him, which was inspiration for this.

SUMMARY: After a particularly hurtful news report, Danny Phantom mysteriously disappears…and Danny Fenton shuts his mouth forever. Meanwhile, Valerie is wondering what happened to both…DxV

RATED: K+. Gaspo.

Quiet

Danny: Extremities

Body

"Hi, I'm Tracy Hollows with Channel Six News, and I'm here at the scene of Danny Phantom's latest 'project.'" The skinny young woman put a hand to her ear, keeping her earpiece in as she heard questions from the newsroom.

"Tracy, do you know what caused this?"

"No, I don't, but we do know that he's causing a lot of destruction. Usually he works with a partner in these crimes, making it seem as though they are fighting, but this time he's flying solo…literally."

It was true. Phantom had no enemy or ally this time with him. He was just causing mass destruction—and talking to himself?

"Oh, wait, I just got some more information!" said Tracy, her hand clasped over her ear. "He appears to be talking to himself, no, yelling furiously…" Indeed he was.

"GET OVER HERE!" he shouted, sending a ruthless blast that almost hit Tracy. Although no one could see why he was doing this or what he was doing at all, he was actually after a young runt of a ghost—pale and green-haired, always themed. This time as an army general.

"Drop and give me twenty, _Phantom_!" he yelled out in the childish taunt that only the immature could possess. Phantom gritted his teeth and followed, making a sharp turn upwards into the air to follow Youngblood, just barely missing the crowd of onlookers.

"Get over here, you runt!" He shot another green beam from the palms of his hands, which managed to stray off course and effectively blast off the top of a building.

Tracy walked over to a few people in this crowd. "I'm getting a few witnesses now, Tom." She walked over to a middle-aged blond who was shaking. "Excuse me miss, but what do you feel right now? What's your opinion of Phantom?"

"Phantom…is a menace to us all…He's just gaining our trust to use it against us. If he was good, he wouldn't be destroying Amity." Tracy moved on to a teenaged boy, red-haired and scrawny and covered in acne.

"Mister…"

"Mikey."

"Mister Mikey, what is your take on Phantom's shenanigans?"

Mikey pushed his glasses up. "Phantom is actually quite bright. It hurts me to admit it, but he's clever. He's using this against us. He thinks that us humans are just moronic carbon-based life forms that are easily taken control of even though he used to be one himself. I am not even sure if he is worthy to be called 'him.' Perhaps it would be more fitting to call him 'it.'" Tracy raised an eyebrow as she moved to a slightly taller African-American young lady in bright colors. Her hands were clenched into tight fists that could have crumbled a rock into pieces. Her eyes were shining with anger and resentment.

"Miss Gray," she began, knowing her father very well, "What do _you_ think?"

"I think Phantom is an abomination. So low that he's not even an 'it.' He needs to be terminated. If I have to, I will rip him apart with my bare hands. He's going to be the end of us, we all know it. He just has us under this weak hold that won't allow us to do anything but think what we want." Her teeth gritted harshly for a second. "Mark my words, PHANTOM WILL GO TO HELL. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but HE WILL, and oh, _how_ he will…" Valerie began to ramble as Tracy slowly backed away and out of Phantom's fighting area.

"Well, that's what we've got right now. Back to you, Tom."

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Danny replayed the tape, staring into Valerie's eyes. Every time, they brought tears to his own. He never knew how much disdain people had towards Phantom. He had heard other reports, none as mean as this. He thought it would pass!

"_Back to you, Tom."_

Danny fast-forwarded the tape when it came back to Tracy. From there, the insults only got worse. Sam and Tucker were there as well, but in the background helping Danny. Insults were thrown at them as well.

In disgust and horror, Danny shut the tape off. If it was really what people wanted, then…Danny Phantom no more.

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Valerie: Curiosities

Mind

I walked into school on time for once, actually focusing on something other than Phantom. Of course, this time it was Danny…

_Bad_ Valerie, _bad_ Valerie, stop thinking about him like that! He may be your friend, but he's not interested in you!

I start walking past his locker and I can feel the temperature in my cheeks rise. I scold myself again, gripping my books even tighter. But when I see him approach his locker, I see something different…

He's not Danny. He can't be. He's tired, even more pale than usual. His wonderful baby blue eyes are more of a weary azure now. I can see joy, hope, perseverance, and the occasional challenge to overcome in those eyes. Now, all I see is betrayal and loss.

"Danny?" I asked. He turned to me in the middle of the second number of his combination. _24_, I thought. He didn't speak. "I…I want to know what happened last night." His brow furrowed ever so slightly as he shook his head and returned to his locker.

"Danny, please, say something!" I begged. He took his books, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and gave me a good look in the eye before he walked off.

_No._

That's what those eyes said.

Even through Art, my favorite class, I couldn't stop thinking…what happened? And as it turned out, that's all I sketched…those hopeless eyes.

"Valerie!" said the teacher sharply, bringing me out of my head. I looked down at my notebook and noticed that I had sketched the whole face.

He walked over to me and grabbed my notebook, which carried notes about the feelings and themes art expresses and how as well as that sketch.

"Marvelous drawing, Valerie! Absolutely marvelous!" he praised. I almost forgot that he encouraged doodling. "Class, just look at this. This is what I mean! Look at the loss of hope, the tiredness…you can tell that this is someone who has just took a major blow to his being as a whole!"

And I couldn't help but think…is that what happened to you, Danny?

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Walking through the halls, I passed the chem. lab, which had walls that must have been made out of glass. I noticed a large genie-like ghost peering around curiously, giving me a particularly nasty look. I narrowed my eyes. My first instinct was to run outside in and give her a piece of both my mind _and_ my suit, but…I wanted to see how long I could go before ghost attacks got so severe that I had to actually get out there.

Besides, as much as it hurts me to say this, Phantom could take care of it. He doesn't go to school, he doesn't have a job! Hey, what _does_ that ghost do in his spare time? Just sit around plotting his next point in his plan to betray us all?

I began to count down the seconds in my mind. He was usually at the scene of the crime in three…two…one…now. But…he's not here. I waited for a few more minutes, in which the harem-ghost came in through the glass and peered evilly at the chemicals. She picked one up and left. I stood, shocked. Where did Phantom go?

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Sam: Mysteries

Body

Sam had just looked out and saw Desiree leave with the volatile chemical. She whispered, "Danny, where were you?"

She turned around to head for her next class to see him. She tapped her foot angrily as she waited for the boy to come closer to her. When he was finally within five feet of her, she burst open.

"Why did you just let Desiree get away like that?" she raged, throwing her arms in the air. Danny stared her straight in the eyes, not giving an answer. Sam waited a few more seconds, her face softening.

"Danny?" she asked quietly. "Are you okay? What happened?" She looked Danny straight in the eyes, unknowingly showing every bit of her emotion in the violet irises. Danny didn't respond, but he dropped his backpack when he ran off into the boy's room.

"DANNY! WAIT!" she screamed. He didn't hear her. Sam sighed, finally acknowledging the purple knapsack. Perhaps it could lead her to an answer. She rummaged through the books, finding not much more besides loose papers and the occasional notebook. Some things never changed.

But she did find a videotape. A videotape…labeled _Channel 6 News, 4-17-05_. That was just the day before! Maybe it held a clue.

Sam jammed the tape back into the bag and zipped it up when Valerie called her name.

"Hey, Val," she said, holding the new companion in higher regard. "Do you know what's up with Danny?"

"I was just about to ask you," said Valerie in confusion. Sam sighed.

"The only thing I can think of is the ghost thing last night."

"I know. Phantom has gone completely off the ledge now!" said Valerie, gritting her teeth.

"No," said Sam irritably. "The other one!"

"What other one?"

"The—" Sam stopped when she realized something. "Oh…I see. This ghost, he's called Youngblood. 10 years old. Only people who still have the spirit of a child can see him." Valerie raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know?"

"Oh, come on, Danny's a Fenton. They have files on almost every ghost in Amity." Valerie shrugged this matter off.

"Oh…well, how could that be related?"

"I really don't know, but yesterday was exactly the same as the day before yesterday and the day before that and the day before that with the exception of Youngblood."

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Tucker: Worries

Mind

I just saw Desiree leave with something from the chemistry lab. Where was Danny? By now, he would've busted her and sucked her up in the Thermos. He was reliable, a lot more than me. So…where was he?

I saw Sam down the hall talking with Danny, who then ran into the boy's room. Then I saw Valerie heading for her. Normally, I would've gone for Val, but Danny doesn't always have these kinds of outbursts. Something has to be wrong.

"Danny?" I asked, walking in. Nothing. I would've assumed that he was gone, phased out of the bathroom, but based on Desiree, I'd have to say he was still in here. So I started searching under the stalls. "Danny?" I called out again. Still nothing. Finally, I found a stall with blue jeans and red All-Stars that were trying to curl up onto the toilet seat. It was obviously locked, so I had to crawl through under the small crack, which, might I add, is extremely nasty and gross. I don't think the janitors clean anything in here.

"Danny!" I said happily. "Danny? What's wrong?" His face was buried in his lap. "Come on, you can tell me. We've been friends since kindergarten. I'm the one person you can trust."

Danny shook his head. I sucked in a breath of air. "All right, but we can't solve anything if you don't open up." I waited a bit longer. He usually considers it a bit before making his decision. He said nothing, just sat still. I sighed and opened the stall, walking out. "All right, but we're here for you."

Just as I'm about to walk out, I think I heard him say: "Valerie."

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Valerie: Conclusions

Mind

4 Years Later 

I spent four years trying to find out what happened to Danny Phantom and why Danny Fenton never spoke again. I knew he stopped talking the day after the Youngblood report. Danny Phantom disappeared at the same time, never to fight again. Most of Amity was actually happy, and I thought I would be, but for some reason…I wasn't.

Every time I see Danny, this eerie feeling dispels through the room. Silence rules, and I know he won't say a word. It's why I can't bear to ever see him again. The quiet has crushed me every time I did.

They say that Danny Phantom is a nightmare, a destroyer from all the times he had knocked half the town down as a casualty in fighting. They say Danny Fenton is a maniac on the loose, an escaped psycho since he had held Sam as a hostage for her own safety. At least one thing's stayed out the same.

They say goodbye and good riddance to Danny Phantom. They call for knockout gas and a straightjacket for Danny Fenton. I say shut up.

Because Danny Phantom _is_ my acquaintance, and Danny Fenton _is_ my crush.

Fin

(Falls over from exhaustion) Wow. Got it done. With a virus on the computer, a bad throat, a ton of homework and a make up test, and God knows what else. Hallelujah. I hope you like it. I tried to add a tiny bit of Tucker-spice to his POV. Because someone's gotta be the comic relief.


End file.
